Why must they suffer? Is it because their wish was too great? In exchange for a miracle, the Puella Magi endure a fate worse than death.

Summary:

Sayaka has fallen and ironically the only person to save her was once an enemy.

Much as I expected, the witches are created from the Puella Magi. As their soul gem becomes more and more corrupt, they are reconstructed into becoming a witch and essentially perish.

According to Kyubey, this is a needed ritual to sustain the universe which is rapidly draining all the energy at a rate that cannot be replenished easily. In order to combat this, Kyubey’s race/culture have developed a device to harness the powers of the human emotion. Grief and hope power the soul gem and when the girl (I assume that they are considered more emotional) mutates into a witch, the energy is recovered by an Incubator through the Grief Seed.

Sayaka has become a monster and it is up to Sakura Kyoko to save her. In a rather ungraceful manner, she sacrifices herself to stop Sayaka leaving Madoka with Homura. It is now only Homura who stands against Walpurgisnacht where we we likely see the gear witch from the beginning of the series.

Again, there really is not much to say. Everything is spiraling downwards and the root cause of this are the Incubators. Kyubey is not a singular entity at all, there is an entire race of these monstrosities. The logic behind their doings is not even sound. Yes, when fire eats away at a log, energy is lost in transfer. This is very true but at the same time, I doubt that the energy disappears entirely. I’m fairly certain that a planet is able to recuperate this lost energy. It just feels a bit insane. There must be an alternative to tormenting humans for their juicy emotional energy.

I would like to pose a question. How does a race as advanced as Kyubey not have emotions? I thought that would be a requirement of any sentient being. Perhaps it’s a hive mind? In their long journey to search for a suitable energy source, humans were to only beings to have emotions. That’s a bit far fetched isn’t it? I don’t even fully understand how the concept of emotions creating energy works. Wouldn’t there also be a loss in the transfer as well? I’m willing to bet that all of this could have been avoided had the Incubators created a tool to harness happiness instead of grief. That’s much more productive and abundant. Stupid alien cat demon.

It’s also saddening that Sakura who held such a cold demeanor became such a warming character only to die to the one who opened her eyes. For her friend, she sacrifices herself in one last attempt to redeem her values.

What’s worse is that Homura’s left completely alone. If Madoka is left alone, she will likely break mentally and everything will be lost. I think that Homura cannot show emotion towards Madoka because the lack thereof creates a barrier between Madoka and the Incubators. Homura is much like Mami in that she probably wishes for Madoka to aid her. However, Madoka cannot be allowed this privilege. She is to steep in the overwhelming despair forever for the benefit of the rest of the world.

Everything was ironic and though it may be cliche, the both of them deserved to die together… it was a salvation of sorts befitting for the two of them: for Sakura who found the faith that she lost and for Sayaka who who sank in despair knowing that she can never be with the person that she loves.

I guess when life brings you down, you can expect a friend to come and hear you out… ironically and tragically, even in death

As with how TV Trope enumerates it, any fictional work will always run on cliche elements… it’s just up to the presentation and how that would impact the viewers.

In death, that is all a friend is. They are there to support you regardless of appearance or state

Well, in reality, people die alone. I would even doubt that if you told your friends irl some big news like “Hey, I have cancer and I’m dying… Would you mind dying with me?” they would agree to die with you. But as for Sakura and Sayaka, all they have left are each other. That’s why it’s better for things to end that way. Well, you are right though. If the objective was to drag everyone to despair then salvation, everything makes sense :D

The thing is, they don’t necessarily have to die with you. They only have to support you as you breathe your last. In Sayaka’s case, the only way to reconcile their old “kill or be killed” relationship was through death.

Anyways, the whole story is based around Madoka. She doesn’t get salvation.

this whole harnessing emotions as energy or whatever kinda reminds me of Monsters Inc. how they harnessed/captured the screams of children, and only realised later that laughter was better source of energy…

I’m kinda annoyed that they answered the big “why” in Madoka with “because of aliens,” that seems to be a realtively common answer with Japanese shows.

The explanation Kyubey gave also does not make any sense, either the subs I had were wrong or the writers just made up some stuff. The subs I had said Kyubey was trying to increase entropy because it’s being used up, but entropy always increases or remains the same, there’s no need to increase it. If the translation is wrong and that should be energy, then it also doesn’t make sense because you can never lose energy according to the first law of thermodynamics.

I only have a basic understanding of such things but thermodynamics is incredibly balanced is it not? Energy shouldn’t simply go to waste in any situation. Well, I guess it’s an anime and we should just leave it at that.

Seriously though, the QB alien(s) remind me of the Strangers from “Dark City.” They may be from another one of the multiverses/timelines to suck the energy from this one via Magical Girls…kind of like Asimov’s “The Gods Themselves.” Remember what Arthur C. Clark said: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”

This series has turned into the Magical Girl version of “To Serve Man.” Aliens promise and deliver wonderful things and then use humans like cattle…all with out lying outright. If I were Madoka, I’d be screaming all over the place “IT’S A COOKBOOK!!!”

I’m not sure if it’s implied that humans are the only beings with emotions, or just the beings they preferred to harvest energy from. In any case, I suppose we just have to suspend our reality for the moment and accept this premise.

As for advanced civilization with no emotions, perhaps they’re able to advance to such a degree because they lack emotions. Emotions can cloud judgment and slow efficiency at times.